No. V.
RECUSANTS OF MASHAM, YORKSHIRE EXTRACTS ONLY
THE Society is indebted to Mr. Gibbons, of Huntington, York, honorary correspondent, for the transcript taken from the Act Books of the Peculiar Court of Masham. As second hand from a copy, which would seem not altogether correct, it must be taken with its defects and compared with other returns, of which there are, fortunately , several in existence. The Rawlinson MS. B. 452, in the Bodleian Library, printed by Mr. Edward Peacock, F.S.A., entitled A List of the Roman Catholics in the County of York in 1604, familiarly known as " Peacock's Yorkshire " Recusants, contains on pages 73-77 a considerable list of Recusants of Massam (or Masham) . " The North Riding Record Society has also published a valuable collection of Recusants of that Riding, unfortunately with more variety of indexing than is desirable. The following dates may be mentioned regarding Masham Recusants under the several volumes and pages: 12 July, 1614 ; 151 , 9 July, 1616 ; 163, 1 Oct. , 1617 ; 185, 6 Oct. , 1618 . II : :73, 10 July, 1612 ; 123 , 2 Oct. , 1621 ; 152, 8 Oct. , 1622 ; 183 , 7 Oct., III182385,; 217 , 5 Oct. , 1624 ; 230, 27 April , 1625 ; 248, 12 Oct. , 1625 ; 278,
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6 Oct., 1626 ; 301 , 3 Oct. , 1628 ; 340 , 3 Oct. , 1632 ; 362 , 2 Oct., 1633 .
22, 8 Oct. , 1634 ; 42, 30 Sept., 1635 ; 82, 3 Oct. , 1637 ; 104 , 3 Oct. , IV:1638; 123 , 2 Oct. , 1639 ; 210, 5 Oct. , 1641 . The Civil War followed , and Papistical Recusants" shared with some of their former persecutors a shorter shrift . " When the Commonwealth was established they
suffered with other Delinquents, or more so , for Cromwell's tolerance did not embrace Catholics. Charles would fain have extended tolerance, had not the lies based on the great fire and the machinations of Titus Oates , and other miscreants, inflamed the mind of the ignorant and fanatical lower classes. Page 195 of volume vi bristles again with Recusantsat the Quarter Sessions of 20 Jany. , 167 , at Richmond ; but this is beyond the time of the following extracts made by Mr. Gibbons, which seemed to him to relate to Recusants. It must be clearly understood that other indictments , as for non-payment of assessments and offences against the criminal law, are excluded as beyond the scope of the Catholic Record Society's undertaking . A special feature in these returns is , that after all the harrying about of Recusants at Quarter Sessions at Helmsley , Malton, Northallerton , Richmond , Stokesley, Thirsk, and special sessions elsewhere, with an occasional summons to the Assizes at York or London , they had their Peculiar Courts near at home, to keep up the persecution between times. The Danbys and Wyvills mentioned were the most important families in the parish, having inherited the estate of Thomas, fifth Lord Scrope of Masham, through his second and third daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth , his four sons, Thomas, Henry , Ralph, and Geoffery, who each succeeded him in the barony, having all died without issue . (Burke's Extinct Peerage. ) Some members of the lesser gentry appear in the list, but the bulk of the names are of yeomen, husbandmen, weavers or websters, cordwainers or shoemakers, tailors , colliers , & c. , and their families . Many of the names are still found in the district. High stationed or lowly, their names constantly recur in the rolls of Recusants. J. S. H. 1589. March 31 . Peter Mylner, William Wray and Richard Hanley for that they
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refuse to pay their sessments to the church. 1618.
April 8.
Isabel ux. Christ. Danby gent . , Constance ux . Richd Beckwyth, John Smerthwaite , Thos . Walker, Katherine ux. Robt Norton gent., Ellen and Elizth Norton , Christ. Reyner sent, Christ. Theakston , Christ.